Nothing More Than A Memory
by ChordOverstreetFan
Summary: You're married and you're attending the wedding of the girl that you wish was your wife. I guess that's why they say hindsight is twenty-twenty. If you knew then what you knew now, you would've risked it all to be with her...but you can't turn back the clock, no matter how much you might want to. (Sharpeyton, slight Troyella, one-sided Troypay)
1. The Invite

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is an unofficial sequel to "Singing in the rain" by Jane Bell ( fanfictionDOTnet / s / 4595896 / 1 / Singing-in-the-rain ). Due to the "M" rating of that particular story, my story is written under the assumption that they did more than just kiss. There will be flashbacks about what happened while they were watching the movie and after. This first chapter is just a glimpse into their minds as they are now.

As for Sharpay...let's just say that she's acting the way that I see myself acting if I had chased after the same boy for years, had one night where he gave me everything that I could ever imagine, and found out through the internet that he married someone I hated. She's hurt, and she's retaliating in the one way she knows how - forcing him to watch as she legally (and happily) binds herself to another man. That's the thing here. It'll be explained more in later chapters as I don't think this will have more than 5.

* * *

_Mr. Vance and Derby Evans_  
_cordially invite you to the wedding of their daughter_  
_Sharpay Elizabeth Evans_  
_to_  
_Peyton Scott Leverett_

_Saturday, December 1, 2012_  
_At one o'clock in the afternoon_  
_Manhattan Penthouse_  
_Fifth Avenue_  
_New York, New York_

* * *

To say that Troy had been surprised to receive the invitation would be an understatement. He wasn't just surprised; he had been completely floored. Never in a million years had Troy Bolton expected to receive an invitation to the wedding of _Sharpay Evans_...yet it was staring him right in the face.

Of course, that was mostly because of the fact that there was a part of Troy that always believed that he, himself, would be the one waiting by the altar as Sharpay made her way down the aisle. In spite of the fact that he had followed his high school sweetheart - Gabriella Montez - out to California upon leaving East High, Troy had always assumed that Sharpay would still be there for him if things didn't work out.

That belief hadn't been unfounded, right? Troy knew that she had liked him since grade school...and he knew that she knew that there was at least a part of him that reciprocated those feelings. Surely, Sharpay had realized that during the _one night_ that they were able to have together...that one _perfect_ night where Gabriella didn't matter to either one of them.

He couldn't have been the only one that felt something that night, right? That was impossible. She had to have known that the only reason he stayed with Gabriella (consequently never even giving her a real chance with him) was because that was what people expected of him. His friends, aside from Zeke, couldn't stand Sharpay - and after that summer, Troy couldn't risk losing them during his senior year.

Back then, though, Troy had thought he would be staying in Albequerque for college while Sharpay and Gabriella went to opposite sides of the country. It would give him time to decide which of them would actually give him the unconditional love that he always saw between his parents.

How was he supposed to know that Sharpay Evans would be the one who stayed in New Mexico while he and Gabriella moved to California? How was he supposed to predict that she would set out for New York after just a year? How was he supposed to know that she would fall in love with someone who wasn't him as soon as she set foot in the city?

Perhaps the real question he should be asking himself, though, is: _Why did it bother him so much that she was marrying some loser named Peyton Leverett?_

At the very least, he knew that's what Gabriella would be asking him...considering the fact that she became his wife no less than one month ago. Admittedly, she wouldn't ask him that question with those exact words (that was more Chad's territory) but she would certainly be curious about why Troy cared that Sharpay was getting married at all.

Then again, Chad was the only one of his friends that actually knew about what happened between him and Sharpay. The fact that he hadn't told anyone is still shocking, but that was why Troy had been best friends with him since kindergarten.

Before he knew it, Troy called out to Gabriella, "I'm meeting Chad at the gym, don't wait up!"

* * *

Sharpay knew it was a little cruel. She didn't care. Why would she? The guy was already married to someone else - that freaky math girl, at that...so as far as she was concerned, the lunkhead basketball man known as Troy Bolton wouldn't care if she got married to _anyone_ so where was the harm in sending him an invite.

To be honest, she would think there was something wrong with him if he really did care. Sharpay Evans had given him so many chances to be with her and Troy Bolton had turned down every single one of them.

If Troy felt regret for that now, it was his own damn fault. That was something she wholeheartedly believed - which was exactly why Sharpay consistently told Danforth that she felt no remorse for sending him the invitation - because she was done waiting for a _boy_ that never _really_ looked at her as a potential love interest to wake up and smell the roses.

Because she knew that he wished it was her that he woke up to every morning. She knew that he wished she was the one that was with him at the altar a month ago. She knew that he wished it was her that was laying next to bed with him every night - even if he couldn't admit it to himself.

But she was _tired._ She was so damn _tired_ of being second best.

Finding Peyton Leverett had been a godsend, really. She never even _thought_ that she could find someone that would love her the way that she was. She had _always_ thought she would have to change everything about herself to find someone that would love her the way that she wanted them to. She thought she would have to change in order to find the one that would help her create the fairytale that she had always wanted.

There was a time where she thought Troy Bolton was the one who would do that. She was wrong.

Peyton Leverett was her _real_ Prince Charming, and Bolton should just be grateful that Sharpay was giving him the closure that she wished he had given her.


	2. Realization

"Troy Bolton, you better have a good explanation for calling me to meet you at Starbucks at nine o'clock at night!"

Chad Danforth had officially arrived, and he clearly wasn't happy with Troy right now.

It wasn't long before Troy responded, "Gabi and I received an invitation to _Sharpay Evans'_ wedding? I didn't even know that she was dating someone."

Chad rolled his eyes as he replied. "Why would you know, man? You've been avoiding her since we graduated high school." Not wanting his friend to feel worse about the situation, the African-American quickly continued, "Even if you hadn't been doing that, I don't see why this bothers you. Troy, Peyton's not a bad guy. I don't think I've ever seen her as happy as she is with him."

The former high school basketball star glared at his best friend. "I don't want to hear about how perfect Peyton Leverett is, Chad. That's not why I called you."

Not missing a beat, Chad asked, "Then why did you call?"

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Troy answered him. "How can I get her to call this whole thing off? I was stupid back in high school and let everyone's expectations dictate who I chose to be with. I know what I want now, and it's not Gabriella."

Chad couldn't help but laugh. "Are you kidding me, Bolton? You married her."

Troy groaned. "I know. I've regretted it since we came back from the honeymoon. I just didn't know why until I saw that invite staring me right in the face."

Chad merely retorted. "So you're jealous of Leverett, is that it?" He shook his head as if he couldn't believe what was happening right now. "Dude, do you wanna know who you are in the fairytale life of Sharpay Evans right now? Count Paris, and that's not good."

Troy grinned. "And why exactly is that a bad thing for me? That's the guy Juliet's supposed to marry, right?"

Chad slightly raised his voice at his former team captain, "Exactly. He's the guy that Juliet was _supposed_ to marry, but she was by no means happy about it. I mean...sure, I bet they could've been happy marrying him if she had never met Romeo - but that's not what happened." He paused for a minute before he continued to speak, "Or maybe you'd prefer me to compare you to Romeo? But then Gabriella would be your Juliet while Sharpay is Rosaline - either way, you don't end up with Evans."

Troy's grin quickly fell of his face. "Is there any analogy in that brain of yours that ends with me getting the girl that I still see myself having children with?"

Not a second later, Chad responded, "No, there isn't. If you had asked me back in high school, then I could've given you one because that was your only chance of being with her. If you made a move back then, the two of you would've been Tony and Maria - and you _could've_ became the prince in her fairytale. You and I both know that, back then, Evans would've dropped everything if it meant that she could be with you." He paused to take a breath. "Instead, you followed Gabriella Montez out to California and married her just last month...but if you had at least invited her, you may have still stood a chance at being her happily ever after and giving your West Side Story romance with Sharpay a happy ending by somehow rekindling whatever feelings she had for you during the reception or something - but you didn't." Another breath. "You know why you didn't invite her, Troy? Because you knew she'd see right through you...and you didn't want to hurt Gabriella even though you knew you fell out of love with her a long time ago. Speaking of invites, though...you do realize _why_ she sent one to you, right?"

Out of exasperation, Troy started to raise his voice. "No, Chad, I don't. Why don't you enlighten me if you've got this all figured out?"

Pursing his lips, Chad answered his best friend since kindergarten. "Troy, she _wants_ you to see that she found someone that loves her the way that she is - with no conditions attached. That was something that you could _never_ give her because despite your whole _'breaking free'_ thing back in our junior year of high school, you never had the guts to pursue her despite knowing that she was what you really wanted...and I know it sucks man, but it's time to let go of her."

Troy gulped before he replied, "Why should I have to give up? _She never did._ Even though I had a girlfriend, she still kept chasing after me."

Noticing Troy's clenched fists resting on the table that the duo made their way over to upon Chad's earlier arrival, the playmaker's former sidekick grabbed both hands in a show of comfort. "That was high school. She chased after you back then because she knew that most high school relationships don't last past graduation - but we're in the real world now, Troy. When you chose Gabriella, she decided that it was time to move on...and you can't fault her for that just because she found Peyton and decided that he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with." Giving his best friend a soft smile, Chad continued speaking, "Who knows? Maybe one of the future Montez-Bolton kids will fall in love with _and marry_ one of the future Evans-Leverett kids. As much as you'd rather be the father to Sharpay's children, you're just gonna have to hope that you eventually become the father-in-law to one of her children." At this point, he chuckled to himself. "I know it sucks, dude...but it's time to wake up and realize that the Troy & Sharpay love train has been officially deconstructed and will most likely never be rebuilt - at least not now."

After Chad's speech, Troy simply ran one of his hands through his hair after pulling it out of his best friend's hold. "So what do I do? I know that I love her now, and I don't know what I'll do with myself if I never tell her."

Shrugging his shoulders, Chad responded. "I don't know, man...but whatever you do, just wait until after the reception - or at least the ceremony. Let her and Peyton say her wedding vows before you say anything to her. That'll show her that you care enough about her to let her be with who she wants to be with. It'll show her that you're serious." He softly punched Troy in the shoulder as he continued speaking, "Just don't do something stupid like trying to kiss her. She'll probably just slap you."

Troy snorted in response, "She wouldn't slap me."

Chad grinned at Troy as he replied. "Maybe not, but her fiancé would definitely punch you if he found out about it." The African-American pulled his best friend out of the chair he was sitting in as he spoke once more. "Besides, this is the closure that both of you need. You both grew up thinking that whoever you lost your virginity to would be the one you married - but you were each other's firsts and both of you chose to marry different people."

All Troy could do was lower his voice as her responded, "Yeah...I guess you're right about that, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. I mean...you know that I spent almost half my life thinking I was going to marry her one day."

"In another life, maybe."

"Shut up, Chad."

"Just go home to your wife so the two of you can RSVP."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

"So, I'll see you at the wedding?"

"I'll be the one with my hand over your mouth to prevent you from objecting."

"Thanks. I might need it."


End file.
